High School Mathematics Teacher

ABOUT MERIT ACADEMY:

Merit Academy is a new school-of-choice in the beautiful mountain community of Woodland Park, CO. This classical, Core-Knowledge® school is currently in the start-up process, with doors opened in August, 2021 at max capacity of 184 with over 70 students on the waitlist. We currently have 612 full and part time students, grades PK-12. For our sixth year, we are anticipating over 670 full- and part-time students, grades PK-12. There is great need and desire for a classical, public school option in our area.

At maturity, Merit Academy has smaller class sizes and a purposeful curriculum for enhanced performance and growth. We are also have great homeschool enrichment opportunities with Merit Academy.

Merit Academy is unique in that it is situated in an area that provides many opportunities for tremendous Rocky Mountain Enhancements. Additionally, to honor our rural culture and demographics, there is a “rocky mountain version” of a uniform, unique to what you may find in an urban and traditional classical school.

Merit incorporates a vertical and horizontal integration within academics and the House System on various Fridays. This careful design not only allows team cohesion among students of all ages and abilities in community and school projects, but it also provides our valued educators with additional collaboration and planning time.

Vision: To graduate students prepared for success in a free society, promoting civic responsibility and contributing their talents in a flourishing republic by pursuing beauty, truth, and good.

Mission: Merit Academy will cultivate the minds and nurture the hearts of K-12 youth in the Ute Pass/Woodland Park region with instruction in the principles of moral character and civic responsibility.

POSITION

Math teachers are critical to the successful growth of Merit Academy. In that, it is important that candidates are a solid fit for the school, community, and curriculum (and vice versa).

Teachers will work with the Dean of Upper School and Headmaster through the development and growth of Merit Academy. Our teachers will bring to our students and our school poise, joy, respect and an ability to cultivate the positive relationships needed to instill confidence and trust. This includes supporting the school’s patriotic base, studying extensively this great Republic’s founding. In that, Merit Academy is also a school that believes the “hot” and “controversial” topics of today’s world are best taught at home, allowing the school to focus on the academics to which we are committed.

It is important that our teachers are courageous, personable, encouraging, and well-spoken. The ideal candidate will create a classroom of inquiry-based, modern Socratic teaching approaches in classical education. Attention is on an intensive, classical, Core Knowledge academics. The school culture is one of trust, respect, joy, and deep engagement in one another and in our community. In summary, our staff, parents, and volunteers will inspire students to pursue excellence and put forth their best efforts in all aspects of life.

The ideal candidates will embrace the “rocky mountain version” of traditional-classical education that makes Merit Academy unique. Merit educators are passionate for the Core Knowledge® curriculum, liberal arts, Merit’s vision and mission, and our five virtues of valor, perseverance, responsibility, goodness, and friendship. Staff also embrace and support the ideas and philosophy of America’s Founding. Teachers will be subject matter experts in classical education, curriculum standards, performance assessments, and other required educational components.

Merit Academy is hiring a math teacher to teach high school mathematics, including: Geometry, Algebra 2, Trig/Pre-Calc. If qualifications allow, Merit Academy also plans to launch college-credit math courses in the near future.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Identifies with and adheres to the vision of Merit Academy and our principles of classical education
• Teaches Math in accordance to curriculum guidelines , incorporation of projects/application, and inquiry-based lessons
• Review student data to further promote growth and performance with the subject of Mathematics
• Convey knowledge to students, meet academic needs in collaboration with the academic team
• Implements curriculum and instruction in a matter consistent with Merit Academy
• Supports students in growth and mastery of the subject
• Support discipline procedures, including requiring students be respectful of teachers, staff, and volunteers
• Tolerate no cruelty among students: support respect, understanding, and civic responsibility which includes interaction with others
• Provide clear expectations and effectively redirect misbehavior
• Assign, correct, and grade assignments, quizzes, tests in a timely manner.
• Evaluate each student’s progress on a regular basis and communicate this progress to the student, parents, academic team and Deans.
• Cultivate the fundamental virtues of Merit Academy
• Embrace the school’s vision and mission
• Works with Dean of Upper School in student performance assessments, and achievement of student and professional objectives

QUALITIES & CHARACTERISTICS:

• Professional communicator when dealing with concerns of parents, families and fellow staff
• Moral character, acts with integrity and wisdom.
• Holds a conviction and dedication to school choice and Merit’s vision and mission.
• Emboldens students, parents, and associated volunteers to love learning, embrace our virtues, and promote a life of responsible citizenship in a flourishing republic.
• Engenders trust and assurances in others through effective, personable communication, kindness and community involvement, behavior, and outreach.

KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS:

• Ability to relate to adolescent students and an appreciation of their desire for understanding and age-appropriate levels of fun and interaction
• Contributes to a collegial faculty throughout the school
• A commitment to more advanced courses, classical education, school choice, and the positive contributive culture of Merit Academy
• Mastery of these advanced math subjects and how to instill that knowledge and understanding to high school students
• Incorporate various student performance assessment tools to ensure student and school performance objectives are met
• Able to communicate with poise, winsomeness, kindness, and humility
• Ability and desire to learn and master student performance tools and requirements, professional development opportunities, and typical practices in an independent school

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Math, Education, Engineering, or similar field, with minimum of 24 credits in required in math.
• Must love working with high school scholars and their tendency to seek logic and reasoning
• An understanding of charter schools or other schools-of-choice
• Works well with students, staff, and parents
• Enthusiastic about and able to teach geometry, algebra 2, trig/pre-calculus, or calculcus.
• Conviction in Merit Academy’s vision, mission and in a classical, liberal arts education
• Ability to maintain classroom decorum
• Strength of character
• Desire for professional development, growth and mentorship

REPORTING STRUCTURE:

Reports directly to the Dean of Upper Schools. Works side-by-side with teachers, counselor, specialists, and additional staff.

PAY & BENEFITS:

There are 166 contact days and 14 in-service days for full-time teachers (19 for new teachers).

• Starting at $45,000-$62,000 *depending on experience and education *
• School holidays and breaks
• Additional 10 days personal/sick leave
• 15% Awards for educational grants written by, received, and managed by employees (prior approval for each application)
• Health insurance coverage (equivalent to $7,800 annually) or $300/mo in-lieu-of health insurance for staff who have ample coverage through another party
• Dental insurance (equivalent to $420 annually)
• Optional vision insurance
• $40,000 Life insurance coverage
• Retirement benefits through PERA (a match of 21% of employee salary paid by Merit Academy to Employee’s retirement account through PERA)
• Possible bonuses throughout the year
• Childcare provided during PD/Inservice Days

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

• Offers of employment are conditional subject to successful background and reference check
• This is a salaried position, exempt from overtime.
• Employees are at-will employees
• As required by the IRCA, employees must be legally eligible to be employed in the U.S.A.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE (SUBMIT TO HR@MERIT.ACADEMY) :

• Cover letter
• Resume/CV
• Minimum of three reference letters within the past two years
• Unofficial transcripts and any applicable certifications

Pay: $45,000.00 - $62,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person

Salary : $45,000 - $62,000